“An absolute anthem… It’s a gigantic, super funky track with so much energy, we will probably never be able to wrap our heads around it. “Testify” gets stuck in our heads for days at a time, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.” — Fingers on Blast

“U.N. Jefferson is a band you want to keep an ear out for.” — Bong Mines

When ‘old school’ meets ‘new cool,’ you get Canadian Soul dynamos, U.N. Jefferson and their new release — a self-titled album and premiere single “Testify” — available now!

Heavily influenced by Motown and classic Soul (think: James Brown and Wilson Pickett), U.N. Jefferson’s sound loudly draws from all aspects of the genre (think: early R&B and Funk to elements of Jazz and Gospel) to turn heads and tune ears far and wide.

With early support from CBC, Alan Cross, Radio Western, The Harlton Empire, Soul and Jazz and Funk, and more, “Testify” has firmly solidified its place as “an absolute anthem” (Fingers on Blast) with good reason; this is a listen where standing still is not an option.

“I wanted to make an album people could feel,” says frontman, singer/songwriter (and theoretical Energizer Bunny understudy) Ajay Massey. “I also wanted an album that would make people move.”

With “Testify”, it was specifically about “that moment of being overcome with feeling and emotion where the only thing you can do is let it all out.”

The track started with the drum beat, with the verse melody following soon after. “The idea was an old, beat up microphone and a soap box platform on the corner of a crowded street,” Massey explains. “When it came time for the chorus, it had to come in hard and hit you like a freight train.”

U.N. Jefferson does not disappoint in the mission, and the utterly infectious video brings the concept to life with a vividness and showmanship not to be missed; if nothing else, fans are treated to in-hand on-demand access to what a live show with the band is likened to.

“We took our time making this album,” Massey reflects on marrying the full-length, self-titled release with their rollicking live vibe. Produced by Jacksoul guitarist Justin Abedin, “it was important the final product be representative of what we do on stage. The sounds and the arrangements had to be just right.”

So why Soul, and why now?

For Massey, it just can’t be any other way.

“Every band I’ve ever played in has had a connection to Soul music,” he reflects. “Soul taught me about groove. It has to be there. I have to feel it. If I can’t feel it then I don’t think anyone else will. I always consider that when writing songs.

“The first record I ever owned was Sesame Street Fever and I couldn’t stop listening to it,” he continues. “It just made me want to dance and sing along.

“I still have it to this day.

“I listened to a lot of different music growing up. If it wasn’t coming from the radio, it was someone playing records, or it was my mom singing her favourite song. We also had a dance floor in our basement and there would always be parties at our house.

“To me, Soul music is real. It’s feel good music that makes you move.”

To say “Testify” and U.N. Jefferson accomplish that goal and then some would be an understatement.

Both are available now.

We wouldn’t like to thank Eric Alper for the artist profile and press release